Harley Benton MS-60LH VW Vintage Series

Harley Benton MS-60LH VW Vintage Series review

The Harley Benton MS-60LH VW Vintage Series fills a specific gap: it is a left-handed guitar with an offset, Jaguar-inspired shape and a compact 610 mm scale. At the listed price of 159, its appeal is easy to understand. Left-handed players looking for this style have relatively few budget options, and the MS-60LH offers a ready-to-play platform with a pair of vintage-style single-coil pickups and a tremolo.

Its specifications include a basswood body, a bolt-on maple neck, 22 frets, and a graphite nut. The fretboard wood is listed inconsistently in the supplied specifications as both laurel and amaranth, so buyers should confirm the version with the seller. The finish is high-gloss vintage white. No case or gig bag is included.

Build quality and setup

Owner reports are mixed, but many describe a clean finish, a comfortable neck, and good fretwork for the price. Some instruments reportedly arrived in good playing condition, while others needed attention to action, intonation, fret ends, or the tremolo. A few owners also found loose hardware, rough spots, or cosmetic blemishes. That spread suggests it is sensible to inspect the guitar carefully on arrival rather than assume every example will have the same setup.

The body can feel heavier than its basswood construction might suggest. Players who want a particularly light guitar should keep that in mind. The short scale is a more consistent talking point: several owners found it comfortable and easy to handle, including players with smaller hands. Others found the neck too short or its shape too substantial for their preference. Neck feel is personal, so trying a short-scale guitar first is worthwhile if you have not played one before.

The supplied strings are listed as D'Addario EXL120, gauged.009 to.042, although one owner received.010 strings instead. Light strings suit the shorter scale for many players, but a different gauge or tuning may call for a fresh setup. Reports of buzzing and intonation trouble make a basic check of the action, tuning stability, and fret clearance a good first step.

Pickups and controls

Two Roswell STA Alnico 5 single-coil pickups provide the core sound. Each has its own on/off slider switch, alongside master volume and master tone controls. Owners describe the neck pickup as warm and full, while the bridge pickup can deliver brighter, sharper sounds with a Telecaster-like edge. Reports on the pickups vary, but several players liked them as supplied and found them useful for clean tones, blues, surf, and alternative rock.

The individual switches offer a simple way to combine the pickups, though this is not a complex switching system. Some owners report a thinner, lower-volume sound when both pickups are on, and others have encountered electrical noise or intermittent output. Loose wiring or a jack connection has resolved at least one reported fault, but that is not a substitute for checking a problematic guitar properly.

The tone control is a recurring weakness in owner feedback. Some describe its range as limited, with little useful change except near the extremes. Players who like to shape their sound from the guitar may want to adjust or replace the component. The volume control, by contrast, is often described as smooth.

Bridge, tremolo, and tuning

The MS-60LH uses a Tune-o-Matic-style bridge paired with a DLX tremolo and deluxe die-cast tuning machines. Some owners found the tremolo enjoyable when used gently, while others reported that the arm fit poorly, hardware came loose, or the guitar drifted out of tune after use. Bridge rattles and difficult intonation have also appeared in reviews. Results depend on the individual setup, but this is the area most likely to invite adjustment or replacement.

Some players have improved tuning stability with a roller bridge or other hardware changes. That can be a practical project, but it adds cost and work. Check that the tremolo arm is secure and that the bridge moves and returns as expected before relying on it during a performance.

Verdict

The Harley Benton MS-60LH VW is a compelling option for left-handed players who want a short-scale offset guitar without spending heavily. Its strongest points are the uncommon left-handed format, comfortable compact scale, attractive vintage-white finish, and pickups that many owners enjoy in stock form. Its weak points are less predictable setup quality, a limited tone control, and mixed experiences with the bridge, tremolo, and tuning stability.

For home playing, learning, or a project guitar, it offers a useful starting point. Buyers who need dependable stage performance straight out of the box should inspect their example carefully and budget time for a setup. The MS-60LH can be satisfying as supplied, but its hardware and setup are worth checking before deciding whether it needs further work.